It Sure Aint Over Yet!
It was sometime around 9.30pm on Tuesday January 16, at the National Press Club (Jalan Tangsi, Kuala Lumpur) that Ahirudin Attan was served "his papers" -- notice by the lawyers representing NST, its deputy chairman Kalimullah Hassan, CEO Syed Faisal, GEIC Hishamudin Aun and former GE Brenden Pereira -- that an injunction would be taken against him and that he was going to be sued for libel.
Ahirudin or Rocky, as we all know him, was told an hour earlier (while he was having dinner at BSC) that someone from a law firm was waiting for him.
In fact this someone had been waiting since 6pm for Rocky to make an appearance at the NPC.
Rocky who is the NPC president, arrived at the club about 9.15pm, He walked coolly into the club, signed his name (as members are required to do), approached the guy, shook his hands and asked whether he was there to give him something.
The young man seemed nervous as he handed to Rocky an envelope and about a foot-high of five very thick documents.
"So which one is for me?", asked Rocky.
"Semua ni, bang," said the man, apologetically.
"Wow, ni semua. saya ingat satu untuk saya, yang lain untuk orang lain," Rocky said, shaking his head, smiling.
People at the club broke into laughter not because it was funny, although in a way it was. But it was that kind of laughter that you would make for want of anything better to say.
Rocky took the letter, signed something and looked closely at the pile of documents, still shaking his head and smiling.
"Terima kasih-lah. Lama tunggu?", he asked the young man, who was by now smiling although nervously, and appeared to be all too relieved to have got it over with.
He said he had been looking for Rocky since Sunday at Austin Chase in BSC but Rocky was nowhere to be seen or found. He was then told to go to Rocky's other hang-out - the NPC.
He was glad to have found Rocky. Not only because he had done his job but that he had finally met the man himself.
"Saya ikut blog abang," he said, as he stood up to leave.
Well, Rocky..... just about more than half a million others too.
If you "follow" his blog. Then, my friends, you can and should walk with him. And not only him but also with Jeff Ooi and Sheih.
(NOTE: Sheih Kickdefella has a real cool poster dedicated to Rocky today. Makes a real cool car sticker too)
28 comments:
Dear Puan Nuraina
It is nice to read this post and again we the readers of rocky's blog and others too, I am sure will help Bro Rocky in many ways. If you guys wants to set-up fund in helping him with the lawyer fee, please let the readers know.
Again, to all of you, WA CAYA SAMA LUU... Hidup Bru!
Dear Tante Enah
I have been following Uncle Rocky's blog.
He is one brave man and a cool one too.
I am with him and (I am sure many others are too) will "Walk With Rocky",
I pray that Allah SWT will protect all who seek the Truth and who fight to uphold Justice.
Jay
even, if others dont follow his blog. the fight it is the same. we walk thru the same valley and we smell the same fight. therefore we will one day unite.
Ina!
I'll be damned if I allow this country being turned into a police state where thought police will be allowed to go beserk and rule by anyone who cannot take criticism!
When setting up the fund, don't forget those who are outside KL who wanted to contribute ya.
Many Msians outside the country are waiting to take the voice outside if the voices in the country are silenced. Can expect to be nasty. Not the polite one like Rocky's.
Dear Nur,
They say life is a bitch. The again, but for what? The point is there is Ying and then, there is Yang. Always, these energies have to play out,the outcome of which is a better day.If it is otherwise then a bit of soul searching will enable one and all to see light at the end of the tunnel.
skippy.
Rocky spiced up our lives with the goings-on in the media. He spiced up our lives with interesting and juicy news which the mainstream media deemed unworthy to see print. This is the ultimate price he has to pay - he will now have to spend at least a few hundred million bucks to defend himself. Rocky, I respect you. If the suit is one way to stop Rocky, i see press freedom the poorer for it.
Dear Nuraina,
Rocky is my ex-boss. I hope everything will turn out alright for him...
Assalamualaikum Nuraina,
Cannot post comments on Rocky's blog....some problems which are currently being attended to. Friends of Rocky and bloggers especially those "ex NST", we have to remember the saying..'berani kerana benar...takut kerana salah'.Is Rocky wrong in his efforts to uphold the dignity of Malaysians who are being shortchanged everyday by people who think they hold the power but then are afraid of their own shadows!
If we want to have any hope at all for this beloved country and save it from being made a mockery we have to stand behind Rocky and give him his full support.Many of us are not willing to sacrifice our life for the country no matter how much we say we love her. So can we not at least show our support for those who are brave enough to fight 'the power abusers'.If we dont then we have to answer to our children and generations to come for not 'fighting' back the oppressors.
Sdr Rocky,InsyaAllah kita sama2 doakan semoga Allah bersama2 orang yang berjuang untuk membetulkan kemungkaran.
Salam mesra dari DUK.
Puan Nuraina,
I wonder what Saudara Rocky, Datuk Kadir Jasin and yourself would have written if all of you are still with NST. My calculated guess will be the same - kow-tow to your political masters. Malaysian journalist and politician are cut from the same cloth, they will only speak out when they're no longer holding position. Players change but the game remains the same. (This comment does not apply to Jeff, though)
Nuraina,
I am going to CANCEL my NST subscrition for both my home and my office..
And if enough people do that, it will hurt them too..
Nuraina,
It's a shame when a country claims to be a democratic one yet her citizens have to be careful what they blog about.
Blogging is about our personal thoughts, not an action against the government. I hope that the government can see that with Rocky.
Dear Ms. Nuraina,
We heard you loud & clear. And we shall walk with Rocky & Jeff & Sheih. We won't allow these guys to be muzzled and bullied by those people. Heck, what are those people trying to turn this country into?
ena, like i said, is very afraid this day would come. do do do take care.
Anon 7.42pm,
You wrote: "I wonder what Saudara Rocky, Datuk Kadir Jasin and yourself would have written if all of you are still with NST. My calculated guess will be the same - kow-tow to your political masters."
As a follower of Datuk AKJ columns way back in Berita Harian through Kunta Kinte and in NST through his famous Other Thots, I strongly objected to your comments. You have to follow his writings through and through before you can/should make any judgement on him/his writings. Do not put him equally with Rocky, what more Nuraina (sorry ena! but I'm sure you would agree, right?).
Datuk AKJ speaks his mind off without fear or favour, including on Umno and govt even during Tun M's era.
Dear Monsterball, a boycott may seem childish but when you're dealing with children who decide to tell on daddy to make sure he punishes you the "adult" way, then a boycott is the way. After all, it's been highly effective at playgrounds and nothing more irks the playmakers at a newspaper when no ones wants to read what they think has been written so well.
I am very saddened by this and echo the sentiments of other readers, who ask to be alerted to any fund for legal fees.
I am a Malaysian in London and am willing to help. Please post notices if anything must be done. These men represent Malaysians fed up of the propaganda which has been shoved down our throats for decades. They, like the blogging community, must be supported. This atmosphere of fear is intolerable and Malaysians cannot be expected to live like this. We are not human chattel.
I think the Summon server tak sangka yang Rocky is a big man.
Itu sebab la dia terkedu. heheheh
First time i met rocky and you was at Stephen Christmas party. saya pun terkedu juga....6 feet something...
Dalam hati cakap..."mak aiii..besar nye mamat nih."
Rocky's blog rocks, man!
People like me blog about what's on the radio and what to wear to a dinner date, whilst people like Rocky and Jeff Ooi blog about things that really matter.
Too bad it has come to this. I wish them well.
It's all about egoism, so you're not happy, so you sue.
Singaporean is waving to us, dancing vividly that we're enjoy the status-quo like them now.
Well done to you people (you know who you're), VMY 2007 needs such stimulation to spurs the tourism industry.
Congratulations NST, Kali & friends.
salam,
i should call you kak ena. we share the same nick name. i'm a writer too (still writing for one of the main stream newspaper).
it really is shameful for nstp and co. to resort to this legal battle. and yes, this is the first time (in the history of world printing press) that a newspaper is suing individual for libel and defamation. normally, it's the other way around.
this marks the first of many things and (may be) the end of private rights and personal space. but i hope and pray that it will be the beginning of revolution of some sort.
to bro rocky and jeff ooi, be brave, get the best lawyer, and pray to The One.
salam.
monsterball
If this is a personal dispute, I can agree with you. But, is this really a personal dispute?
I think LKS explained this very well;
http://blog.limkitsiang.com/?p=935
You also understand the state that this country is in. Worst still, with globalization, time is not on our side. If the small voices of concerned citizens are muted, what do you think Msia will become?
Are we going to sit still and watch this country slip further?
I have long vowed to stop by NST and family till the bloody Kalimutu and his stooges leaves.
Now I will make it a daily affair to convince others to stop also.
I will make sure it hits them where it matters, in the wallet.
DO not worry lah. The late MGG PIllai never paid a single farthig to T S Vincent Tan till his last breadth.
BUt I wud rather you win and uphold the right to voice our opinion.
Dear Bekas Wartawan NSTP
Sorry to disappoint everyone. Correct me if I'm wrong, didn't NST came out with all the subjudice news during the trial of Anwar Ibrahim? Fyi, I followed his Kadir Jasin's writings then and now. He was not as critical towards the PM then like he is now? Remember Bakun, Perwaja, the kangaroo court of Anwar Ibrahim, corruption, privatisation etc... Please provide his coments on these issues, if you have them.
Perhaps you can name me any Chief Editors or journalists who are truly independent ( read: have no political backing)?
But I do understand. Everyone has to cari makan, kan?
to anonymous who posted at 7:42 & 10:19 PM: "Everyone has to cari makan, kan?"
and you, of course, has stood up to be counted like countless times, regardless of "cari makan" ya?
perhaps you want to post non-anon so we can all laud you for YOUR courage.
With apology Nuraina but do allow me this space and thanking you in advance. I had this posted at Malik Imtiaz's blog:
Malik, stay focus. While we understand the need for you to reply to some of the posters here, but don't waste anymore of your time to engage this bunch of people (those from SiPM and muhammad abdullah). And very soon too, few more other names will crop up here as they did at Rocky's, Jeff's, Sheih's, RPK's and Marina's.
We are profiling them. Let us be the ones instead, to engage them, not by replying to their spinning for their masters, but exposing and identifying who they really are.
The sooner we ignore and not allowing them this platform to create chaos and disunity among bloggers, the better prepared we are to face the real issue in hand.
Don't bother to reply us on this, gang of 4 (or should I add on 'th Floor' to it?). Our purpose and function is to sniff you all out.
dear mdm..... here am i, the new follower of your blog....already bookmarked your blog...will always be keep-updated to your blog...may allah bless you :)
Dear Anon 2.15
So, do you agree with my other comments? Or does it stung too bad because it's true?
One other thing, why is being anonymous when supportive is okay and otherwise it's not?
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